Cancer

Cancer leads to inexorable muscle wasting that significantly affects physical function and patient prognosis. However, there are currently no pharmacological countermeasures for muscle wasting.

This is due, in part, to the fact that scientists are only beginning to understand the molecular regulation of skeletal muscle wasting during cancer. Work led by Dr. Andrew Judge is focused on understanding the regulation of cell signaling pathways in skeletal muscle that appear to be important in the progression of cancer-mediated muscle wasting. Dr. Judge’s Laboratory uses both genetic and pharmacological tools to manipulate these pathways to identify targets and countermeasures to treat this deleterious condition.